warped timber from B&Q

[theragman666]

On the 18th of this month I bought a quantity of PAR timber from B&Q; this was for a shelving cupboard project. I started installing some of this the next day. Over this weekend and up to today I noticed a lot of the wood had warped across its width so had to remove it. I asked at the store if they could replace it but this was denied and the so called carpentry "expert" said I should have let it cure for three days. When i bought it I of course checked it for warping and there was none although I had to search through the racks for the good stuff. I have heard you have to cure raw some forms of lumber but this so called prepared and poly wrapped stuff? Now I'm no chippy but to store it for three days. There are NO signs anywhere advising this. Just thought to post a heads up.

 

[big-all]

heeelllooo and welcome theragman666


never buy any timber from the sheds buy it from a timber merchants or wood yard then you get the lengths you need and the quality and the stability you need

 

[Symptoms]

666 - shed timber is only good for firewood so do as big-all says.

Go back to B&Q returns counter (or Trade Counter if you've an account) and ask to speak to the Duty Manager. Explain the situation to him/her but clearly pointing out that the material was bought in good faith, it was poly packed and there were no warnings about "cure" (if the B&Q carpentry guy had been an "expert" he would have used the term 'acclimatized' and not cured). Clearly the timber was sold to you unfit for purpose and B&Q's return terms allow for a refund.

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

diy wood nasty stuff use trade

 

[AronSearle]

The wood warped because it changed moisture content from whatever it was when supplied, (it can be a bit more technical than that, but that's the laymen's version).

It likely wasn't properly dried for internal use, or had other issues like excessive slope of grain, meaning that even a slight change in moisture causes large amounts of warp.

Proper timber merchants will understand these issues, DIY outlets just buy and sell the stuff.

Buying timber from DIY stores is fine, if you know how to select, if not, go to a proper timber merchant and they can do it for you.

Storing it beforehand would not have stopped it warping, it just means it would have warped before you installed it, and then at that point you can reject it or correct the warp, whichever is appropriate.

Acclimatizing is really only to get the timber to the right moisture content so it doesn't shrink or expand, not to prevent warp (again, this is the laymen's version). And acclimatizing in most instances is not really that necessary with properly dried timber, though it rarely hurts to do it.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

B&Q are one of the biggest retailers of a matreial known in the trade as "banana pine". I'll leave the OP to figure out why it's called that!